In the past, ethynyl carbinols of the formula: ##EQU1## wherein R.sub.1 is lower alkyl, lower alkenyl or hydrogen; R.sub.2 is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms; R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 taken together with their attached carbon atom form a cyclic member selected from the group consisting of cyclo lower alkyl, or cyclo lower alkenyl; and R and R.sub.3 are lower alkyl, lower alkenyl or hydrogen; have been formed by reacting a compound having the formula: ##EQU2## wherein R, R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are as above; with an ethynylating agent such as sodium acetylide. See J.A.C.S. 57, p. 340, (1935); and J.A.C.S. 61, 1289 (1944). The use of sodium acetylide as an ethynylating agent has proven disadvantageous since the yields of the compound of formula I have been low. In U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,201, Oroshnik, Aug. 5, 1947, the use of calcium acetylide for carrying out this process is disclosed. Furthermore, in Oroshnik et al., J.A.C.S. 71, 2062 (1949), the use of acetylides such as lithium acetylide, potassium acetylide and calcium acetylide for carrying out this reaction has been disclosed. However, these acetylides have proven to be very expensive. Furthermore, when these acetylides are utilized as an ethynylating agent, the compound of formula I is produced together with various side products and tars which are difficult to separate from the compound of formula I. Therefore, a more economical ethynylating agent which will produce the compound of formula I in high yields without difficulty separable tars and side products has been long desired in the art.